Chapter 88: The Light Boat Had Passed Ten Thousand Mountains

Green light overflowed from the jade pendant, and magical power came out of it, outlining some written words in the air half-way up.

Chen Changsheng’s gaze paused slightly, and he suddenly fell silent.

Yun Xiang saw the floating jade pendant, covered her mouth, and didn’t dare to speak.

Her eyes moved, and she noticed that the teacher was staring entranced, but his gaze didn’t rest on the jade pendant; it was fixed on the empty air instead.

And he seemed to have light in his eyes, yet when she followed his line of sight, she saw nothing at all.

What Chen Changsheng saw in his eyes…

Was a final letter!

The words in that writing told a story of the past and expressed boundless helplessness.

——

Teacher, reading this feels like seeing your face.

At that time, I was not a big child. I faintly remember it was rainy day, and I sat crouched under the edge of the street, hugging my body, my stomach empty. Passersby hurried by and didn’t glance my way. Through the rainy curtain, in a blur, I only saw you, teacher, walk toward me and hand me a steamed bun.

From then on, I followed you by your side, grinding ink and reading. I often didn’t study well, so you frequently tapped my forehead. I took it and didn’t speak up.

You always gave me preserved fruit too. That was the sweetest thing I ever ate, so much so that even today I still crave the sugary treats in the street.

Back then, I thought you were the kindest person in the world.

I journeyed with you by my side across rivers and mountains, and later to faraway lands. Every place we visited was the most beautiful scenery I ever saw in my life.

But things in this world rarely go as one wishes. After that, I couldn’t keep up with your pace. You hadn’t returned for many years, so I left the mountain to look for traces of you in this mortal world.

Over the years, I went to many places, spending my life chasing your past. But the mountains and waters were long, and time was slipping away in panic. I worried that in old age, I would have no strength left to search for those bygone years.

Later, I climbed the immortal mountain and learned immortal arts, just to add more time to wait for you.

But in the flick of an eye, over three hundred years passed.

I never finally got to wait for you.

Thinking back, you touched my head and spoke of the beautiful sights in your hometown. You said your homeland had thousands of acres of watery fields, and when you gazed out, you saw lotus ponds stretching to the horizon, so beautifully. That was the simplest you ever spoke, and it’s what I remember most clearly.

I thought then that you surely loved lotus flowers, so I planted a pond full of them here for you.

If you are seeing this letter, you must have seen the lotus pond outside the village. The lotus leaves touching the sky and the sunset-lit pond should look lovely, right?

Now, the only thing I can do for you, teacher, is this. If you like it, please gaze at it for a moment longer.

But recalling those days now, I still yearn to grind ink for you and eat the preserved fruit you gave. When all those memories float before my eyes, I cry uncontrollably.

I can only sigh that so much has changed since then, nothing is as it was.

Teacher, forgive me for not being able to accompany you to see those rivers and mountains anymore.

After all this time.

I wish you smooth sailing and wellness in everything.

— Zhu Qi’s final words.

———–

Thump.

The jade pendant fell and struck the desk.

Chen Changsheng lowered his head to look.

When he saw the jade pendant again, he suddenly became at a loss.

Chen Changsheng felt a heaviness in his chest. He even feared picking up the jade pendant, just staring blankly, unable to snap out of it.

Yun Xiang came to herself. When she saw the teacher, it seemed she had forgotten everything that just happened. She said, “Is teacher unwell? Yun Xiang will call a doctor right away!”

Saying that, she hurriedly got up to go out and call for a doctor.

Chen Changsheng waved his hand and said, “I’m fine, go back and rest.”

“Teacher…”

Yun Xiang halted her steps, frozen in place.

Chen Changsheng let out a long sigh and paid no more attention to Yun Xiang.

Yun Xiang didn’t know what to do. After hesitating, she chose to quietly withdraw in the end.

She carefully walked out the door and closed it.

Standing at the entrance, she pressed her lips together, filled with worry. She decided to wait right there.

“Teacher, Yun Xiang is just outside. If anything happens, remember to call me.”

Yun Xiang said that, then spoke no more.

She suddenly froze.

She reached out and touched her cheek.

At this moment, her face was tear-streaked, as if she had been crying for a long time.

But she didn’t understand why she was crying.

What on earth was happening?

……

Things in this world never go as one wishes.

The name Zhu Qi felt very strange to Chen Changsheng, yet when he saw this final letter, he couldn’t help feeling sorrowful.

He didn’t know, and couldn’t comprehend, what actually happened back then.

Why he left, why so many people still thought of him.

So much has changed since then!

When those words appeared in Chen Changsheng’s eyes, his calm mind filled with chaos again.

Chen Changsheng took a deep breath and slowly came to himself.

He suddenly wished this jade pendant hadn’t been left for him.

Zhao Yuqing’s mentioned Yu Xuan and Hu Yu, plus now Zhu Qi in the letter, made Chen Changsheng feel more and more panicked.

“This is the answer?”

Chen Changsheng murmured. He rather not have such an answer.

It had nothing to do with him. He didn’t know about these matters and didn’t know Zhu Qi at all.

But the letters still cut deep like knives and swords…

Was this truly what he hoped for?

Chen Changsheng closed his eyes and suddenly felt weary.

He rubbed his temples and muttered, “So much has changed since then…”

He suddenly hesitated.

……

Outside the door, Yun Xiang wiped her tears.

She felt very anxious. She didn’t know why she was crying; the tears wouldn’t stop flowing.

Nothing had happened, yet why did she feel such sorrow?

She didn’t understand, and her heart only grew more agitated.

Yun Xiang sat on the steps in front of the door. She used her sleeve to dry her tears.

Only after half an hour did she slowly calm down.

Her eyes looked forward as she murmured, “What’s wrong with me…”

…

The sun shifted west, and the sunset glow came into view.

The fading sunlight spilled onto this village of lotus ponds, dyeing it a fiery red hue.

In the courtyard, the shadows of trees swayed in the summer breeze. Fish swimming under the lotus leaves in the vat seemed to enjoy that moment.

Creek.

The door opened from the inside. A figure in a blue robe stepped out.

Yun Xiang stood up and called, “Teacher…”

Seeing her worried expression, Chen Changsheng said, “Don’t worry about me. I’ll walk out a bit. You head in and read.”

Finished speaking, he walked forward.

“Teacher.”

Yun Xiang hurried after him and asked, “Can Yun Xiang go with you?”

Chen Changsheng paused slightly, thought a moment, then nodded. “Okay, let’s go together then.”

A smile spread across Yun Xiang’s face as she followed behind the teacher, stepping out.

Chen Changsheng headed straight for outside the village.

He gazed at the pond full of lotus flowers and felt a strange wave of emotions.

Noticing the teacher lost in his thoughts, Yun Xiang asked, “Teacher, do you like lotus flowers?”

Chen Changsheng paused, his eyes returning to the lotus pond.

Thousands of years had passed, and this pond surely wasn’t as it once was. Besides, the pond full of flowers wasn’t left for him as he is now.

But Chen Changsheng still answered, “Probably, I like them.”

He said that as if answering for his past self.